


Christmas Party

by taylor_tut



Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Broken Bones, Gen, Hawkeye Pierce Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Whump, hurt hawkeye pierce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:30:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21950752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taylor_tut/pseuds/taylor_tut
Summary: A short drabble from my tumblr about Hawkeye not telling anyone he's injured because he doesn't want to ruin the holiday party, but BJ notices everything.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 101





	Christmas Party

Hawkeye threw back another long sip of mulled cider and whiskey, hoping that it wasn’t apparent that he was using it less to get into the holiday spirit and more to dull the pain from what he was pretty sure was a fractured rib. During a scuffle with a patient who’d woken up agitated and putting the fight in fight or flight, he’d been shoved and fallen against a hard metal table of the OR, and immediately, the pain had been blinding. In the heat of the moment, he was pretty sure that no one had noticed, trying so hard to get the patient under control before he could hurt himself, and once the pain had died down to a constant, intense but dull ache, Hawkeye had made the decision that he wasn’t going to say anything about it and ruin the holiday party for his friends who would surely skip it in favor of keeping by his side if he admitted he didn’t feel like attending. 

The pain was all he could focus on, and it wasn’t getting any better. With every breath, it built steadily and then flashed across his upper abdomen in flashes that were too unbearable to ignore. He’d found a little place to sit by himself and was mostly just counting the minutes until he could say he was feeling tired from the liquor and ready to go to bed without raising any eyebrows, then ask tomorrow morning for an x-ray and some painkillers, acting like the injury hadn’t been noticeable until he’d slept on it wrong. 

As he sat there, planning his lie and dreaming about lying down and taking the pressure off his torso, BJ, wearing a ridiculously worn but somehow charming Santa hat sat down in the seat next to him, clearly tipsy and as jovial as ever. 

“Got you something,” he announced, and Hawkeye couldn’t help but smile through the pain. 

“Oh, no,” Hawkeye replied, and as BJ showed him the object that he’d hidden behind his back, his mock-dread was justified. “Seriously, Beej? An elf hat?”

BJ set it atop his head without asking permission, not really caring that it didn’t fit and taking in the sight adoringly. “I thought it would suit you.”

“It does bring out my eyes,” he admitted. “But I think I’m a little tall for the role, don’t you?”

“Well, that’s just closed-minded.” 

“Touche.” He adjusted the hat and rolled his eyes when the bell on top jingled lightly. “Where did you even get this?”

He pointed to his own Santa hat and Hawkeye laughed, a measured, controlled chuckle that didn’t pull too badly at his painful rib. 

“And I’m sure it’s going to be popular with the ladies.”

“Oh, how could it not?”

BJ shook his head and gestured vaguely behind Hawkeye. “See for yourself!” 

Sure enough, a cute, young nurse from another unit that Hawkeye had admired from afar but had never really spoken to was making her way through the dancing crowd. She had her hair down for the first time that Hawkeye had ever seen, and she was even more stunning than normal, but he couldn’t find it in him to feel anything other than exhaustion at the idea of making more pleasant-talk. 

“Hi, Doctor Hunnicut,” she greeted with a small wave and a big grin. “Hi, Doctor Pierce.” 

“Please, Marcia, call me BJ,” BJ reminded her in a tone that suggested he’d politely told her this before. “And this is Hawkeye.”

“Oh, I know who Hawkeye is. I actually came over here hoping he'd—you'd,” she corrected herself, turning her gaze to address him, “want to dance with me.”

Hawkeye forced a smile. “I'm flattered, really,” he said, “but I think I'll have to take a rain check, if it's all the same to you.”

Her face flushed with embarrassment and disappointment, but she tried not to show it. 

“Oh, okay,” she chirped. “I understand.” 

“Next time!” Hawkeye called after her, but she didn't acknowledge him, and when he turned back to BJ, he was met with a skeptical, concerned look.

“Care to tell me what that was about?” 

Hawkeye shrugged. “Can't I just not feel like dancing?”

“You're Hawkeye Pierce,” BJ pointed out. “You always feel like dancing with a pretty lady.”

“She’s not my type.”

“She’s got a beating heart and an interest in you. She exceeds your expectations. What’s really going on?” 

“Nothing.”

“Hawkeye, please. If you don’t just tell me, I’m going to start to really worry.”

Hawkeye sighed. “Alright, alright,” he finally caved, “I’m just a little sore; that’s all. Nothing major.”

“You mean from the tussle with that patient earlier?” Hawkeye nodded. “Sore where?”

“Beej, it’s fine—”

“Hawk, I swear—”

“I think I just tweaked a rib. It’s FINE, really.”

BJ visibly fought off the urge to roll his eyes as he reached right past normal social boundaries to lift up Hawkeye’s shirt. Upon sight of what was apparently a much worse bruise than Hawkeye would have expected, his jaw dropped. 

“Jesus, Hawk,” he muttered. “Have you seen these?”

He took a deep, careful breath. “Haven’t looked, really.”

“I’m getting you out of here right now,” he said in an extremely rare no-nonsense tone. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you broke ribs. Why the hell didn’t you say anything?”

Hawkeye shrugged. “I knew you’d skip the party in favor of spending the rest of the night taking x-rays of an injury that could wait until tomorrow to look at.”

“Your definition of an injury that can wait is different than mine, then,” he shut him down. “Come on. We’re going to the OR.” 

There wasn’t much that Hawkeye could do except let BJ lead the way, but if he were being honest, it was preferable to the party.

“Sorry for pulling you away from the holiday cheer,” he apologized, and BJ huffed, then reached out and rang the jingle bell on the top of his hat. 

“We’ve got plenty of holiday cheer right here,” he said. “What says Christmas like medical imaging tests?” 

“And to all, a good night.” 


End file.
